Michigan

Rick Porcello struggles as Tigers lose to Twins

AP PhotoDetroit's Rick Porcello pitches against Minnesota in the first inning Sunday.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Detroit Tigers' Rick Porcello had not worn his emotions on his sleeve before Sunday.

But during a six-run fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins, the rookie pitcher's body language spoke volumes.

Porcello looked like the 20-year-old he is for once, after mowing down the Twins like a grizzled veteran for three shutout innings. And with the way Nick Blackburn was pitching, Minnesota was well on its way to a 6-2 win in the rubber game of a three-game series.

"Porcello, for the first time I thought, lost his composure," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

He was cruising along on a fine Sunday drive until crashing into a wall that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Joe Mauer singled before Justin Morneau crushed a 416-foot home run, his 21st of the season. Jason Kubel singled up the middle but was thrown out stealing.

TRACKING THE TIGERS

Sunday's game: Rookie Rick Porcello was sailing until one big inning cost him in a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Brandon Inge hit a ninth-inning homer, his 19th of the season, to break up Nick Blackburn's shutout.

Record: 44-37

All-Star Tigers: Center fielder Curtis Granderson and starting pitchers Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander were selected as reserves on the American League team. Inge is among five players vying for one spot available via online fan voting.

Key stat: Detroit is 2-6 against Minnesota this season, but has just one series remaining at the Metrodome and two at Comerica Park with the second-place Twins.

Michael Cuddyer walked on a 10-pitch at-bat and Joe Crede singled to feed the rally. Delmon Young made it 3-0 with a single to left. Porcello was leaving the ball out over the plate and Minnesota was hitting him hard.

Nick Punto walked to load the bases. Then Denard Span hit a grounder into the hole that shortstop Adam Everett threw over second baseman Ramon Santiago's head into the right field corner. It was the third error in five games for the normally dependable Everett.

Span, credited with a single, raced to third on the throwing error while the bases cleared. Porcello got Nick Harris twice in the same inning, with his ground out ending the threat.

"The home run is one thing," Porcello said. "But it was the pitching after the home run that bothered me. It started to pile on and I have to do better than that.

"I was falling behind guys and hung a first-pitch breaking ball to Delmon. And I walked the No. 9 guy (Punto)."

Porcello, having thrown 91 pitches, didn't come out for the fifth inning. He's had back-to-back poor outings for the first time this season. The Athletics scored five earned runs in four innings against him Monday in Oakland.

"The past two games are something that I can't let continue to happen," said Porcello, who is 8-6 with a 4.14 ERA "So, I'll make some adjustments and come out firing next time."

Tigers lefty reliever Fu-Te Ni pitched the next two innings, and for the second time in this series, got All-Star left-handed hitters Mauer and Morneau out back-to-back.

The rookie from Taiwan is beginning to look like a keeper. He got into a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning before striking out Harris. It's hard telling how many runs Minnesota might have scored had Harris joined the hit parade.

Ni has pitched five innings with a 1.80 ERA and his one walk with seven strikeouts is an excellent ratio.

Zach Miner allowed two hits in two shutout innings, and Detroit ended up calling on its bullpen for 17 innings during this series, which included a 16-inning opener won by the Tigers. Still, everybody should be available in the bullpen for today's game.

Brandon Inge hit his team-leading 19th homer of the season after left fielder Denard Span dropped a fly ball hit by Don Kelly in the ninth. But other than that, Blackburn, who had been 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA against the Tigers, was in control in his team-high third complete game of the year.